The Mad King eBook

When Barney regained consciousness he found himself
upon a cot within the sanatorium. Close beside
him lay Butzow, and above them stood an interne and
several nurses. No sooner had the American regained
his scattered wits than he leaped to the floor.
The interne and the nurses tried to force him back
upon the cot, thinking that he was in the throes of
a delirium, and it required his best efforts to convince
them that he was quite rational.

During the melee Butzow regained consciousness; his
wound being as superficial as that of the American,
the two men were soon donning their clothing, and,
half-dressed, rushing toward the outer gate.

The interne had told them that when he had reached
the scene of the conflict in company with the gardener
he had found them and another lying upon the sward.

Their companion, he said, was quite dead.

“That must have been Stein,” said Butzow.
“And the others had escaped with the king!”

“The king?” cried the interne.

“Yes, the king, man—­Leopold of Lutha.
Did you not know that he who has lain here for three
weeks was the king?” replied Butzow.

The interne accompanied them to the gate and beyond,
but everywhere was silence. The king was gone.

X

ON THE BATTLEFIELD

All that night and the following day Barney Custer
and his aide rode in search of the missing king.

They came to Blentz, and there Butzow rode boldly
into the great court, admitted by virtue of the fact
that the guard upon the gate knew him only as an officer
of the royal guard whom they believed still loyal
to Peter of Blentz.

The lieutenant learned that the king was not there,
nor had he been since his escape. He also learned
that Peter was abroad in the lowland recruiting followers
to aid him forcibly to regain the crown of Lutha.

The lieutenant did not wait to hear more, but, hurrying
from the castle, rode to Barney where the latter had
remained in hiding in the wood below the moat—­the
same wood through which he had stumbled a few weeks
previously after his escape from the stagnant waters
of the moat.

“The king is not here,” said Butzow to
him, as soon as the former reached his side.
“Peter is recruiting an army to aid him in seizing
the palace at Lustadt, and king or no king, we must
ride for the capital in time to check that move.
Thank God,” he added, “that we shall have
a king to place upon the throne of Lutha at noon tomorrow
in spite of all that Peter can do.”

“What do you mean?” asked Barney.
“Have you any clue to the whereabouts of Leopold?”

“I saw the man at Tafelberg whom you say is
king,” replied Butzow. “I saw him
tremble and whimper in the face of danger. I saw
him run when he might have seized something, even
a stone, and fought at the sides of the men who were
come to rescue him. And I saw you there also.